Refrigerator-car



3 sheets-sheet 11111111111111111111.lfllrlulrrllnn Patented .Iuly 26, |898. J. THOMAS &'J. M. TRUBY.

RE'FRIGERATOR CAR.

(Application med .rux'y 9, 1897.)

(No Model.)

No. 608,086. Patented July 26, |898. J; THOMAS &. vJ. M. TRUBY'.

REFRIGERATUR GAR.

(Application med .my 9, 1897.)

Patented .luly 26, |898. J. THOMAS & J. M. TRUBY.

REFRIGERATOR CAR.`

(Application filed July 9, 1897.)

3 Sheets--Sheel 3.

(nu Model.)

lrill(111/1/llIlIlllllllllIlllllIII/11111111111111111111 lllllll/11111111111111111111llllll/111111vllllllll/l/ll/llllI/[l I l .0 0. 2; 99 j o0 j 0 uu j fase/'ob Jacob i JOSEPH THOMASVAND JACOB TRUE-Y, OF STARKE, FLORIDA.

REFRIGERAToR-CAR.

SPECIFICATION vforming' part 0f Letters Patent N0.L608,086, dated uly 26, 1898. Application filed July 9, 1897. Serial No. 643,972. (No model.)

To LZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOSEPH THOMAS and JACOB M. TRUBY, citizens of the United States, residing at Starke, in the county of Bradford and State of Florida, have invented a new and useful Refrigerator-Oar, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in refrigerator-cars.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of refrigerator-cars and to enable an ordinary freight or express car to be readily converted into a refrigerator-car without necessitating any alteration in the construction thereof and to provide a construction which can be readily putin and removed from a car.

A further object of the invention is to enable the circulation of air to .be readily controlled, especially when a car is first iced, previous to loading, in order to prevent the temperature of a car from being reduced to a very great extent when the ice is iirst put in and then raised by a load of fruit, and

thereby enable the temperature of the car to be gradually reduced and maintained at a uniform degree throughout the entire trip.

A further object of the invention is to pro-` vide a refrigeratoncar having separate re fri gerator-co1n partmcnts which maybe loaded or` unloaded without admitting the outside air into the others.

Another obj ect of the invention is to enable the refrigeratorcar to be advantageously arranged for the accommodation of ordinary freight on the return trip after a load of berries or fruit has been discharged.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination of parts, as hereinafter fully described,illnstrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

In the drawings, Figure l is a longitudinal sectional View of a refrigerator car constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view on line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is asimilar view on line 2i 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is atransverse sectional view on line 4 4 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is asimilar view on line 5 5 of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view of the lower portion of the car, showing the central longitudinal par- `the lower central partition withv the end of the car. Fig. 8 is a detail view illustrating Ithe manner of supportingV the transverse beams. Fig. 9 is a detail sectional view on line 9 9 of Fig. 4.

Like numerals of reference'designate correspondin g parts in all the iiguresof the draw ings,

l `1 designate removable side linings ar ranged ou the inner faces of the sidesV 2 of a car 3 and extending from one side of the car door to the adjacent end of the car and lconnected at `that 'point by a similarly constructed end lining 4, and each of these linings is spaced from the car by vertical strips 6 and is provided at its innerr face with a `coating 3a, of paper or other suitable material. The linings, which are constructed of wood or other suitablematerial, are rectangular, extending from the top of the car to the bottom thereof and conforming to the configura tion of the sidesand ends of thesame. The

6 are closed at the top by horizontal strips or pieces 7, which are provided on their upper faces `with a suitable packing 8 forveilecting a tight joint between, the linings of the sides and ends of the carand horizontal top linings or covers 9.

The side linings are connected at intervals by transverse beams 10, which support refrigerator-pans or ice-receptacles 11, constructed as shown and described in our Patent No. 564,660, granted to us .Inly`28, 1896. These ice pans or receptacles, which are proa vided with central longitudinal openings 50, have flanges 51 surrounding the same, and the bottoms of the pans are provided adja cent to the openings with depressions or gut-1 ters 52, adapted to collect the water resulting from the melting of ice. This Water is car ried oif through a discharge pipe or tube 40, located at the end of the car. In order to prevent the Vice from closing or partially close lIOO ing the longitudinal openings of the bottoms of the pans and interfering with the circulation of air, the pans are provided with screens 8b,- arranged parallel and extending vertically from the flanges at the sides of the openings of the bottoms of the pans. The screens 8b may be wire-netting or other foraminous material, and they are supported at their upper edges by longitudinal rods 9. The inner ends of the pans or receptacles are provided with doors 12, which are retained in their closed position by suitable catches 13% The inner transverse beam of the series or the beam adjacent to the car-door opening is supported at its ends in suitable recesses of the side linings 1 and is connected by longitudinal tie-rods 12 with the end lining 4, whereby the linings are held securely together, the terminals of the tie-rods, which are located at the centers and ends of the transverse bars, being threaded for the reception of suitable nuts to permit the parts to be drawn together as tightly as desired. The other transverse beams 10 of the series are supported upon vertical cleats 13, secured at intervals to the inner faces of the linings l and provided at their upper ends with recesses forming seats for the terminals of the transverse bars 10. The ends of the transverse beams or bars 10 are retained in the seats formed by the recesses by means of the longitudinal tie-rods 12, which extend over the bars or beams 10.

The space above the horizontal beams 10 is divided into two compartments for the reception of the ice-pans 11 by means of acentral longitudinal partition 14, which is designed to be substantially permanently mounted-that is, it is designed to be removed only when the entire structure is to be taken out of the car. It is supported upon the transverse beams, being provided at its lower edge with recesses 61 to enable the lower edge to come'iiush with the lower faces of the hori- Zontal vbeams. 10 and to iit snugly against a lower removable partition 15, which is designed to be arranged contiguous to one of the sides of the car on the return trip of the latter after a load of fruit or berries has been discharged, so as to arrange the car for the accommodation of ordinary freight. The upper longitudinal partition is composed of two sections and is provided with an intermediate lining 16, which is interposed between the sections and which renders the upper partition a non-conductor of heat. A strip 16, constructed similar to the strip 7, is arranged at the upper edge of the partition 14 to support the adjacent inner longitudinal edges of the covers or top linings 9, which form the top walls of the two compartments of each half of the car.

The top linings or covers 9 each consist of an inner section 17 ,of \vood,which is provided with an interior lining or -coating 18, of paper or other suitable material, and an outer section 19, which is spaced from the inner section by strips 2O to form an intervening dcadair space similar to the spaces between the sides and ends of the car and the linings 1 and 4. The outer section 19 is constructed of pasteboard or other suitable material, and the covers or top linings are arranged horizontal, a space being left between them and the top of the carto receive a main tie-rod 21.

The contents of the refrigerator-compartments may be supported upon plain slatted platforms or ilooring 22, or the latter may be cushioned by suitable supporting-springs, as described in the above-mentioned patent, if found necessary or desired in some cars to prevent berries or fruit from being bruised, and these platforms or tloorings 22 are arranged at opposite sides of the lower longitudinal partition l5 and are adapted to prevent the lower edge thereof from shifting laterally from the car. The upper edge of thelongitudinal partition 15 engages suitable fixed stops at one side and is locked at the opposite side by slides 28 or other suitable fastening devices. The lower longitudinal partition, which is provided with a lining or coating of paper, is removable from its central position by temporarily removing one of the slatted platforms 22, and the said partition 15 is then placed against one side of the car and is locked in that position at its lower edge by the previously-removed platform which it replaced. The partition is secured at its upper edge by suitable buttons 24 or other fastening devices, mounted on the transverse beams, as shown in Fig. 6.

'lhe inner ends of each pair of compartments of the car are closed by a transverse partition 25, extending entirely across the car from the inner face of one side to the inner face of the other and abutting against the end edges of the longitudinal linings and the top linings or covers. The car is provided near its top with a transverse bar 26, extending over the upper edge of the transverse partition and holding the same against upward movement. The transverse partition 25, which is provided with upper and lower doors 27 and 2S, is secured at its top by means of the tie rod or frame 21, and is supported at the bottom by a transverse cleat 29, secured to the bottom of the car and extending across the same, its outer edge being beveled, as shown. The tie rod or frame 2l consists of acentral rod and diverging side rods 30. The central rod extends the entire length of the compartments, passing through perforations of the end wall of the car and the transverse partition, and is provided with nuts, and the diverging rods 8O extend from the main rod at a point between the center thereof and the adjacent end of the car to the transverse partition and pass through the same, their terminals being threaded and provided with nuts for engaging the partition. Between the top and bottom the transverse partition is fastened to the adjacent beam 10 by L- shaped bolts 31, provided at their inner ends IOO IIO

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with nuts and having their outer ends or arms arranged at the lower edges of the upper doors 27 and serving as pivoted buttons for locking the doors. The fastening devices for securing the transverse partition in place hold the parts rmly in the car, which is not materially altered in any respect, being only perforated for the tiefframe and having the bottom cleat 29 secured to it.

The transverse partition is beveled at the lower openings to provide a tight joint, and the lower doors 28 abut against a detachable parting-strip 32, which is oppositely beveled and which is secured to the lower longitudinal partition l5, and the parting-strip,which engages the partition at its ends, assists in securing the same in position and must be removed before the said partition can be taken down. A pivoted button 33 is mounted on the parting-strip andgis adapted to engage the doors 28, and the latter may also be fastened by L-shaped bolts 34, mounted on the partition at the bottom thereof and adapted to be turned up into engagement with the doors 28. Each lower door 28 is provided with a supplemental door 35, adapted to afford access to the interior of the compartment when the sameis to be loaded with fruit, berries, or the like, and also when the contents are to be removed. These smaller doors prevent the escape of cold air and avoid having the compartments rapidly warmed; but the larger doors are necessary on a return trip, when it is desirable to load the compartments with large articles of freight. A thermometer 36, which is normally covered by a slide 37, is mounted on each of the supplemental doors, and the slide is adapted to be readily raised to expose the thermometer when it is desired to ascertain the tempera ture of the compartments. y

A suitable packing 88a is interposed between the ends of the side linings and the transverse partition, and the latter is provided at each end with an adjustable strip 38, disposed vertically and adapted to be forced against the adjacent side of the carto make a tight joint. These strips are provided with slots 38 for the reception of screws 38 or other suitable fastening devices; but they may be adj ustably secured to the partition by any other suitable means. The ice pans or receptacles are supported upon platforms 89, constructed similar to those described in the said patent.

In order to prevent the longitudinal partition from coming in contact with the discharge-pipes, the car is provided'with a fixed section 4l, located'at the end of the car and projecting outward from the inner face thereof, beyond the discharge-pipes, and it is provided with a series of vertical shoulders 42, engaging a corresponding series of shoulders of the partition l5 to assist-in supporting the latter and holding the same against lateral movement.

The linings and the longitudinal partitions are provided with vertical spacing-` strips adapted to offset the ice-pans and the contents of the compartments sufficiently to form Ventilating air-spaces for the circulation of air. The warmer air from the fruit or other contents of the compartments ascends at the sides thereof and ends and is cooled at the top of the compartment, the cold air descending through the central longitudinal openin gs of the ice-pans and the platforms 39.

In order to regulate the circulation of air to prevent the compartments from being cooled to too great an extent when the car'is first iced and to avoid any liability of the con- -tents of the compartment raising the temperature, a series of sliding cut-offs 43 and 44 are provided and are arranged at the longitudinal opening of each ice-pan and are adapt- 'ed to vary the size of such opening. By varying the size of the longitudinal opening the circulation of air throughout the compartment is perfectly controlled and it is possible to maintain the compartment at a given temperature and cause such temperature to Idescend gradually when the contents are placed in the compartment. The melting of the ice is also controlled by the cut-offs, so that the car need be iced only once a trip.

The sliding cut-offs, which are mounted in suitable ways of the horizontal beams, are operated by a longitudinal shaft 45, provided at intervals with arms and adapted to be rocked to reciprocate the slides. Each arm is connected with each pair of slides by link-rods 46 and 47. than the other link-rod 47, is connected directly to the slide nearer the rock-shaft, and

the other link-rod, which is located below the cut-offs, extends across the same and is connected with the inner ends of a pair of levers 48. The levers 48, which are fulcrumed between their ends, are connected at their outer ends with the ad jacent cut-off by rods or arms, whereby when the rock-shaft is partially ro tated the members of each pair of cutoffs will be simultaneously reciprocated in opposite directions to cause them to approach or recede from each other to vary the size of the longitudinal opening of the ice-pans.

The rock-shafts are provided with squared ends and are adapted to be operated by a crank or key. The upper doors 27 are preferably hinged at the top, as shown, and the adjacent ends ofthe ice pans or receptacles are provided with the said fastening' devices 13n and are removable, so that the pans may be readily filled with ice.

This invention has the following advann tages:

The construction for converting an ordinary freight-car or expressscar into a refrigerator-car is exceedingly simple and ineXpensive and may be readily arranged in and removed from any ordinary car, and it does not necessitate any alteration in the construction thereof.

The circulation of air is'under complete The link-rod 46, which is shorter I OOV IIO control for regulating the melting of the ice and for maintaining the car at a given temperature throughout the entire trip, and it prevents the temperature of a car from falling too low when it is first iced and avoids any detrimental rise in temperature when the berries or fruit to be shipped are placed within the compartment. The lower longitudinal partition may also be compactly arranged against one side of the car, so that the latter may be advantageously employed on the return trip for carrying freight.

Changes in the form, proportion, and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacricing any of the advantages of this invention.

Vhat we claim is- 1. In a refrigerator-car, the combination with a car, of the removable side and end linings, the central longitudinal partition having a movable lower portion and dividing the car into compartments, ice pans or receptacles supported in the upper portions of the compartment-s, and the detachable transverse partition provided with doors communicating with the ice pans or receptacles and with the lower portions of the compartments, substantially as described.

2. In a refrigerator-car, the combination with a car, of the side and end linings, a longitudinal partition dividing the car into compartments and composed of a fixed upper portion and a removable lower portion adapted to be arranged adjacent to one side of the car, and the bottom platform arranged at opposite sides of the partition and supporting the bottom thereof when the same is arranged centrally of the car or at one side, substantially as described.

3. In a refrigerator-car, the combination with a car, of the removable side and end linings, horizontal beams connecting the side linings and forming a support, a longitudinal partition having a fixed upper portion and a movable lower portion, top linings or covers supported by the said linings and the partition, and a removable transverse partition, substantially as described.

4. In a refrigerator-car, the combination with a car, of side and end linings arranged within the car, a transverse partition provided with doors, a removable longitudinalpartition, platforms detachably arranged on the bottom of the car and supporting the partition, and the covers or linings, substantially as described.

5. In a refrigerator-car, the combination with a car, of the side and end linings, horizontal beams connecting the side linings, a longitudinal partition having a fixed upper portion and removable lower portions, a transverse partition provided with doors, ice pans or receptacles mounted upon the transverse beams, and the longitudinal tie-frame extending from one end of the car to the transverse partition and provided with diverging side rods, said tie-frame being passed through the end of the car and the partition and provided with nuts, substantially as described.

6. In a refrigerator-car, the combination with a car, of a longitudinal partition, a transverse partition provided with doors Z8 hinged at their outer edges, a vertical strip 32 secured to the longitudinal partition, arranged to be engaged by the free edges of the doors and havin gits ends interlocked with the transverse partition to secure the same to the longitudinal partition, and the vertical bars arranged at the side edges of the transverse partition and adjustably connected with the same, substantially as described.

7. In a refrigerator-car, the combination with a car, of the side and end linings, a longitudinal partition, a transverse partition abutting against the ends of the linings and the longitudinal partition and provided at its ends with adjustable bars arranged vertically and bearing against the sides of the car, a tieframe connecting the upper end of the transverse partition with the adjacent end of the car, and a cleat secured to the bottom of the car and abutting against the lower edge of the transverse parti-tion, substantially as described.

8. In a refrigerator-car, the combination with a car provided with compartments, and ice pans or receptacles arranged within the compartments and provided with openings, cut-offs arranged in pairs beneath the said openings and sliding in suitable ways, rockshaits j ournaled in suitable bearings and provided with arms, and connections between the cut-offs and the arms of the rock-shafts, whereby the cut-offs will be simultaneously reciprocated, substantially as and for the purpose described.

9. In a refrigerator-car, the combination with a car provided with a compartment, and an ice pan or receptacle mounted therein and provided with an opening, a pair of sliding cut-offs mounted in suitable ways, a rockshaft having an arm, links 46 and 47 connected to the arm, the link 46 being directly connected with the adjacent cut-oft', and a pair of levers fulcrumed between their ends and connected with the other link and the other cut-oft, substantially as described.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own we have hereto affixed our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH THOMAS. JACOB M. TRUBY. Vitnesses for Joseph Thomas:

JOHN H. SIGGERs, H. F. RILEY. Witnesses for Jacob M. Truby:

ANDREW FLoRENs, W. ELLERY Davis.

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